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All aboard for SMRT's people-powered rail transformation

A leading public transport services provider and the dominant rail operator in Singapore, SMRT operates several rail networks as well as bus, taxi and private hire vehicle services. Its top 20% ranking on the Singapore Opportunity Index reflects its commitment to strengthen careers, enhance employee experience, and advance the rail industry as a technology-enabled, purpose-driven sector.

smrt1Photo: SMRT

"At SMRT, building a sustainable workforce means growing people for the long term through structured development, continuous upskilling and redesigned roles powered by technology. With strong partnerships with Institute of Higher Learning (IHL), scholarships, and career development programmes like Engineering Management Associates, Learning Through Educational Advancement Programme (LEAP) and SMRT Trains Engineer Professionalisation (STEP), our people can grow in skills, as well as gain the confidence and experience to operate successfully as our land transport industry evolves in an AI-enabled world."

—Lee Yem Choo, Group Chief Human Resources Officer

SMRT is building a sustainable, future-ready workforce by partnering with employees at different stages of their careers — be it developing early-career talents, supporting continuous upskilling for mid-career workers, or redesigning jobs to create safer, higher-value roles for older workers.

Partnering Institutes of Higher Learning:

SMRT works closely with the polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) to offer internships for early industry exposure. Through the Work-Study Diploma programme, ITE students gain operational experience while pursuing formal studies. In 2022, SMRT signed MOUs with all five polytechnics and with the ITE as part of its Green Harvesting strategy to nurture early talent and position rail as a purposeful, technology-enabled and future-ready industry. SMRT also offers permanent roles to high-performing interns, strengthening its talent pipeline. Early-talent programmes, such as the Singapore Industry Scholarship (SgIS) and the SGRail Scholarship, together with structured rotations and long-term planning for scholars, further support skills development and leadership growth.

Optimising jobs:

The company adopts smart technologies and streamlines processes to help employees take on higher-value, safer and more skilled roles. Manual maintenance work is becoming more efficient and data-driven through condition-based monitoring, predictive analytics and automated inspection systems. Initiatives such as Depot 4.0 uses automation and real-time AI to increase overhaul capacity, as well as Overwatch — which provides live system visibility and early anomaly detection to strengthen coordination between ground staff and the Operations Control Centres. These advancements enhance workplace safety, deepen technical capabilities and increase long-term job value across the organisation.

Fostering a Kaizen culture:

SMRT encourages continuous, ground-up improvements, with staff at all levels empowered to identify ways to enhance processes, safety and service delivery. The SMRT Kaizen Centre showcases and shares these projects across teams, reinforcing a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration. SMRT recognises and encourages such contributions through productivity awards and shared-savings programmes, where a portion of operational savings is shared with employees. This builds a culture of ownership and gives staff a stake in shaping the company's progress.

smrt2Photo: SMRT